Webster Technique
I went to the Chiropractor for the 1st time ever yesterday. I’m not sure if I’m more in love with the Dr or her dog (mini chief). I had said in my last post that I would let you know how that went. I had the Webster technique done. It used to be used to turn breeched babies but they found it also opens the pelvis for posterior babies as well. I also had my round ligament stretched (that hurt). It is so tight no wonder the baby can’t get over there. Ladies we have two on each side of our pelvis and the support the uterus. Your pelvis and round ligaments need to be balanced and loose (but not too loose). I will be going twice a week for the next four weeks to get the ligament stretched and my pelvis adjusted. My Dr (which is Lindsay’s Doc too) said that she went all natural and everything wasn’t as scary as people made it out to be! She said it was hard but it’s one day out of your life that you are giving to her child. I will ask her more questions each time I go since I am only there for 15 min. Oh and her dog Winston..the cutest little Boston ever (I can say this because mine is a Frenchton and he is the cutest of that breed). He sat in my lap while I waited and gave me lots of doggie kisses! Then he was looking into her office at me while I got adjusted. I could just slip him in my purse! I should receive my Rebozo any day now. I will update you on that exercise. I am excited for Saturday because it’s my last meeting with my Doula! I will finalize my birth plan go over the labor plan and I will be ready (as I will ever be) to have baby Isaac!
Upate: If I had just checked the mail yesterday I would have seen that my Rebozo is here! I will update on how to use it!
34 weeks
This past weekend I had my baby shower! Baby Isaac will now be able to have a bath, wear clothes and play. I thought I’m done right? No I woke up this morning with a running list of things I need to get these next couple of weeks to be “ready” although they aren’t that important and the baby will survive with out them.
I do feel like I have the “labor” under some control (as much as you can have). I have been doing lost of research on why my baby is Posterior. I signed up for a Spinning Baby conference call last night. Gail Tully of Spinning baby is sought after homebirth midwife and does training classes around the world.You can ask Gail questions about what is going on and she offers you help and what you can do. I am assuming most of the calls are about positioning for the mom’s and labor and delivery for the midwives and doulas. Her website is http://www.SpinningBabies.com. I am going to spare you the details of our full conversation but I will say this “positioning matters” if you are giving birth natural or with drugs. Women just assume that they just need to show up! Do your homework before you go into Labor because the more you know the better your decision making will be. Ok just a bit of ramble back to what Gail said about my baby. He is indeed posterior but there is a reason why! what a reason? No one has given me a reason! You have ligaments in your uterus and mine are too tight on the left side. He stays on the right because that is where he can fit and stay comfy! Ok why couldn’t the 3 other professionals give me an answer like this?? So NOW I have the tools to correct this because it is not impossible. I have new daily exercises and I am going to get a chiropractor to help align my pelvis these next 6 weeks.
34 weeks.
Megan I know this has your face in but I wasn’t sure if it was one of the ones we approved or not so I cropped it just incase 🙂
33 weeks
I finally received my maternity photos…
Happy Girl…
I don’t know why but I love the shots with just the body!
Love this pram given to us from little man’s great-grands
mini beach at the Harbor
love this but swear I was sitting in some animal poop
Classic Shot
Just incase I fell in…
32 weeks
8 more weeks left..really? I feel like I was just taking a pregnancy test! I had my first visit with one of the midwives yesterday and it went exactly has expected! GREAT! I talked to her about the baby’s position and she did say I knew exactly where he was and that we should try to encourage him to move to the left. She agreed with the exercises and said we would check him out on my 36 week visit. She did tell me not to worry because if need be Labor will turn him. So all evening last night I was on all fours doing my Pelvic rocks for hours. Guess who found a new home? Isaac…he switched for most of the night. I think he is back to his favorite spot because he had hiccups this morning and a thought it was in the normal spot. I am also starting water aerobics and some other swimming exercises 3 times a week. Now that I know he will go over there I think I will be able to keep him there but if he is stubborn..I will be laboring on all fours for the majority of my labor. I am preparing myself for the possibility of back labor if he is still posterior in the last few weeks. I read a few birth stories and some were fast posterior births others were exactly what Bradley described. We watched a posterior labor and she didn’t look any worse off than any of the other labors. The first couple in our Bradley class had a baby! It was a girl and she was all natural. She had a quick labor. The father stopped in to drop off the borrowed material and we got a quick birth story I want to share. She didn’t have a 15 + hour labor ! I can’t remember the time she started 1st stage but her active 1st stage (the part were you really start working) started at 1 am and she gave birth at 6am! That’s Bradley and Doula’s at work! She had a very hard labor because it was so fast but I will take it! She had no episiotomy even though the baby came out with her hand at her face! AWESOME JOB! These are the type of birth stories you want to hear..8 weeks before you give birth. My midwife told me to think how I want my birth to go not how I hope it won’t go!
Positioning
Positioning…I never thought for birth it was a big deal unless a baby was breeched or transverse. I was wrong! I had been thinking thank goodness my baby isn’t breeched for the entire pregnancy (he was head down). Now I learn that he is on the incorrect side and not favorable for birth. I will not go into all the medical terms because it will just drive you nuts! Just know that your baby is “favorable” on the left side heads down and you will feel kicks on right side. This makes it so he just slips down the birth canal. My baby is on the right side and has to actual turn during labor and this process can take a LONG time and most exciting of all I would have back labor (being sarcastic). Honestly two things I didn’t want to here because I plan to have no drugs! I have 8 weeks or less to turn little Isaac to the left and to be honest he likes it on that side and he has NEVER been hanging on the left side of the womb..so I’m not counting on it but I will try. They say you should talk to your baby and encourage him to the position you want and there are exercises I must do every free moment to encourage his journey. I will also be praying to GOD that he turns before I go into labor because then all bets are off. I think this positioning doesn’t matter to people who will have drugs because they won’t feel all this moving and working the uterus has to do to make the baby turn.HE will turn it’s just that poor mommy will have very strong contractions, prolonged labor and a much harder time. Thank goodness Bradley class prepared us for the labor positions but I kept thinking I was safe! I have an appointment with my midwife this morning and will be discussing with her amongst other things the positioning of Isaac. I also think a Chiropractor might be able to help align the baby but I have to confirm. I would have never cared about my position and how it relates to labor without Bradley class. 2 points Bradley class.
Somethings Different..
I have noticed something different about my belly for the past week. I just felt it wasn’t looking the same. I asked my husband and his response was oh your not fat its just baby. That is not what I meant but its his catch phrase so that he doesn’t make me upset. I then said to him “the baby looks low”…”remember it use to be up here and be a resting spot for my boobs?”. He then says yeah he looks like he is down there. (Men!?!). I felt like it’s way to soon for him to drop so I thought. I asked in Bradley class because my midwife appointment is a week away. The Bradley instructor said that was GREAT and it can happen this soon and he could drop again closer to my due date! Hooray for baby being ready to come out. I wonder if this means he will come early? I am ready for you little man but just come around week 37 so your lungs are nice and strong! I am glad that he is head down and thats one less thing I have to worry about! I can’t believe in 9 short weeks I will be holding a baby!!!!
30 weeks and excited more than ever
I have had a few rough weeks during this pregnancy. Dealing with anxiety is a daily struggle and for those of you that have it know what I am talking about. The smallest things trigger such a big reaction. The things that top it were my birth and my expectations for that day. I honestly feel safer to be in a hospital for having my 1st child. I think it’s mostly anxiety of something going wrong during this birth. I had prayed about my upcoming birth and how I wanted it to be positive!
I believe that God gave me a little nudge last night when I received an email from my Doula. She had just attended a birth at my hospital and told me how amazing the staff and midwife were in this situation. I don’t have the full birth story but just to give you a little of what went on. This woman was induced with pitocin and was able to walk around and even eat! She was even able to give birth by using the side of the bed and was supported by the doula as she squatted during the “pushing stage”. The midwives caught the baby and then had her get onto the bed to hold her baby and do repair. Can we say awesome! She wasn’t forced to give birth in a bed and she was allowed to listen to her body! This is so refreshing to hear such a great natural birth story. I don’t think these stories happen often in a hospital. They will almost always end with some intervention. While this woman was induced she was still able to do to naturally! That is an awesome accomplishment for her and an inspiration to me that not all hope is lost! Giving birth naturally also runs in my family as I was born drug free. It gives me comfort knowing that it is how I entered the world! I have a great support system in place for the big day! I am so glad that God is answering my prayers and that I have a sense of calm about the birth of my baby boy! I will be so excited in 10 weeks to share my birth story with everyone!
Looking Back…
It’s funny how things change. It is no mystery that I was serious shopaholic. I would dream and think about a handbag and clothing (specifically Milly) for hours and days until I just went and purchased it. I am now going to become a mommy and I’m obsessed with cloth diapers. I am going to back and explain that cloth diapers are cute, they have patterns, they are one of my new accessories. It was not all to long ago a Kate Spade, Marc or Louis was my accessory. I tried to find a Louis baby bag with no success. Those of you with a love for this brand..do not tell me they have one because well then I might have to get one. I can look back and remember I had a breakdown (with a shopaholic friend) in the middle of Bloomies because I couldn’t decide on a shoe…a probably $500 shoe. Oh and before you judge everyone has a materialistic item that they would spend half their paycheck on(car parts,camera’s etc)…mine just happened to be items I wore on my body! I had a pledge sister remind me of a story of our wild days at Radford. Here is the quote..and it was indeed very true.
You told me once that you wouldn’t have children because you would end up telling them “sorry honey, we are not going to Disney world this year. Mommy needs a new coach bag” lol…
I lol because COACH are you serious?? No worries Isaac if mom still had that taste we would go to Disney 3-4 times a year. Now he has to worry if Louis and Marc become regulars again…now those are “vacations” bags! I purchased my first Louis for my 25 Birthday and this year I will be 30 so it’s time for a treat! I am lucky my husband doesn’t care about me spending that much money on a bag as long as its not every month. He understands that 30 is kind of a big deal and that a new Louis is in order. Plus any man who walks into Tiffany and buys me mesh diamond earrings…well he won’t have a problem with Louis! Those of you who are still judging me or saying “wait until the baby comes you won’t want that stuff” doesn’t know Ashley McLaurin Vreeland. I know that I won’t want that stuff as much but don’t think that I won’t ever want it again because I will! I am sure all those cute designer baby cloths will be the death of me. Can you imagine the cute factor? Isaac will be styling with his mommy. I am now thankful I am not having a girl…enough said! I just thought of those judging people out there that would never spend $500 on shoes, or $1500 on a handbag. They always didn’t care about that stuff or want it but those of you who do know what it’s like to have such beautiful things to look at understand me. Now that I’m a mommy..my baby will always come 1st and those “beautiful” things I want will become a less frequent thing. I will just have to make it my life mission to win the lottery or go back to work!
Baby Snuggy
I am feeling quite crafty in my third trimester (started in my 2nd). I want to make some things for the upcoming arrival of my baby boy. I am not great at sewing in fact a pattern gives my anxiety (reading it..following it). I purchased some patterns and decided I was GOING to finish it. This leads me to a baby snuggy. Thats just fancy for a swaddling blanket you don’t have to fold! I started it 2 fridays ago when my sister was here. I thought I knew what to do and ending up seam ripping all of it because I got excited and over confident. After seam ripping Friday and all afternoon Saturday I finally figured out how to really make it (with the help of Linz of course). I can’t say I was entirely sure that it was correct but I was tired of worrying about so I just did it. Sunday morning I finished my first sewing project on my own. It still has errors but I know what I have to do to fix it for the next two I will be finishing up. I love sewing and I made my first dart the other day and I feel great. It wasn’t hard with the help of you-tube videos. I am a visual person when it comes to learning something. I wish all sewing patterns came with a dvd..I would be a sewing pro in no time. My other projects include a simple baby quilt, a onesie, nursing cover, hospital gown,and cloth diapers. Yes cloth diapers! I finally found a website that has an “easy to read pattern” and tuturials so I am hoping I can figure this out! This week has been so crazy so I am hoping to finishes 1-2 projects per week and share start to finish how to complete on your own. AGAIN, I am not an expert but if it looks right to me then I did right. Here is the 1st present for my baby boy!
I notice everything wrong with it when I stare at it.
It has no darts (I was scared), The top is crooked and I still need to sew it shut on the side.
Oh, and the velcro needs to be way over, but I will just add more so that I don’t have to re-do it.
Can’t you imagine the cutest (hey I can say that) little baby in the snuggy in his bassinet?
I can but I will have to wait 12 more weeks. Plenty of time to complete all these projects!
Labor Warnings
I posted this on my fb but I wanted to add the actual note my doula wrote on the yahoo group! Everyone likes smart water right? It contains electrolytes and well taste pretty darn good. If you are preggers stay away from this water..if you are due and wonder why it hasn’t started? This was on my doulas fb page:
Have your clients avoid Dasani or Smart Water or any other water that contains Magnesium Slufate or Magnesium Chloride, both will halt contractions and not allow Braxton-Hicks. Also avoid TSP Trisodium Phosphate. It is litteraly a floor cleaner you can buy off the shelf at Lowes. It’s found in foods like Chex Snack mix to make it “crunchy”. It’s not in their chocolate line, but in everything else. READ YOUR LABELS.
Also this note below was on yahoo group. This is from her experience!
thevreelands 